🛋️ Are 70’s colors back?

Happy Thursday! It’s September 7 — people are talking about the Taliban’s opium ban, the possible return of the 1970’s color palette, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly.

🌺 In the news: The Taliban’s opium ban

The Taliban instituted a nearly total ban on opium farming in Afghanistan. Is this a good idea for the country, and what is the impact on the rest of the world?

🌺 USIP says the ban will do more harm than good — it’s likely to trigger humanitarian and refugee crises. Afghanistan’s economy depends on opium production, so millions of people will end up in abject poverty.

🌺 Vice adds that without opium, more western nations will be flush with fentanyl — that's a seriously scary threat.

🌺 But Firstpost thinks we’re missing the big picture: 3.5m Afghans are addicted to opium, and the ban will reduce the supply of the drug. That’s good for everyone — western media is being selfish and xenophobic, per usual.

🌺 Chatham House says these are moot points — the ban is doomed to fail anyway. There's simply too much money in opium production for it to end.

🛋️ Cultural trend: Are 70’s colors back?

It seems that the American 1970's color palette has returned to prominence. Is it really as ugly as people remember — and what’s behind the resurgence?

🛋️ The WSJ thinks 70s colors have returned because people are craving warm, earthy calmness to combat the craziness of the world right now. The stress of modern life, and the grayness of everything, make us crave a pop of color.

🛋️ ElephantStock: The 70's color palette isn't the only thing back in style! Retro decor like posters and macramé are making a comeback too.

🛋️ This Quora thread discusses the aesthetic appeal. If you think 70's colors are ugly, remember that it’s all in the eye of the beholder. Besides, there's a psychological reason behind it: The colors are grounding and comforting.

🛋️ But despite the return of 70’s colors, Homes & Gardens says the biggest color trend right now is the surge of magentas, pinks, and reds. Get with it!

Quick hits

🏛️ The DOJ said that special counsel David Weiss plans to indict Hunter Biden on gun charges. (CNN)

🛟 A federal judge ruled that a floating barrier in Texas's Rio Grande river violated federal law. He ordered the barrier to be taken down. (NPR)

🍎 Florida’s public universities will likely approve the classical learning test (CLT) as an alternative to the SAT and ACT. (NYT)

🏃🏽‍♀️ The Mexico City Marathon disqualified 11,000 runners from its August 27th race. Organizers say they skipped sections of the course. (Runner’s World)

That’s it for today. Reply at [email protected] to let me know what you think of our newsletter, or to suggest a topic for next time.

Here at Shades we’re trying something new – quick summaries from different points of view. We think it’s a better way to stay informed and see the big picture. Please reach out if you’re curious to learn more!

- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)